Kenworth of Jacksonville Inc. bought West Jacksonville property to develop a truck sales and service center to replace a smaller site nearby.
“I told our Kenworth of Jacksonville team last week that I am building a new facility that they deserve,” said owner Denis Ross in an email May 13.
Ross said Kenworth employs 88 people. He said he thanked them for being such a high performance team “to give me the confidence to make this large investment.” He did not disclose the project cost.
Ross said the 53,000-square-foot center will offer 28 bays and be completed in midsummer 2021.
“I look forward to building a world-class heavy truck dealership facility to support Northeast Florida,” Ross said.
Kenworth, which operates on property leased at 833 Pickettville Road, paid $1.99 million for 12.23 acres at 1121 Suemac Road. It bought the undeveloped land from N.G. Wade Investment Co. on March 24. The new site is at northeast Commonwealth Avenue and Interstate 295.
Ross said Auld & White Constructors Inc. is the contractor and Ebert Norman Brady Architects is the architect.
“It will be a facility representative of our dedication to the Northeast Florida market and sized for our current and future business needs,” he said.
Kenworth of Jacksonville sells new and used heavy-duty trucks. It will double the size of its parts inventory moving into the new building, and its PacLease rental and lease division also will relocate there
Ross said the coronavirus pandemic has not affected the trucking industry as much as other industries because of the need for food and supplies to be transported.
City Council enacted Ordinance 2019-0872 on Feb. 11 to change the land use on 8.89 acres of the property for development of a heavy truck service facility with retail truck sales, outside display and storage. Council also enacted Ordinance 2019-0873 to change the zoning for the uses.
Kenworth occupies 6 acres nearby at southwest Commonwealth and I-295 on land owned by Ray Lane Properties LLC. Property records show four buildings totaling about 24,000 square feet developed between 1978 and 2004. Ross said he has been at that site since 2003.
Ross registered Kenworth of Jacksonville Inc. with the state Division of Corporations in 2003.
Solid Rock Engineering Consultants Inc. submitted electronic civil plans to the city April 7 for the project.
